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Magnificent seven as Americans complete Pan Pacs rout
TOKYO, Aug 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – American swimmers completed a brutal Pan
Pacific demolition job on their rivals Sunday by winning seven out of 10 gold
medals on the final day of the pool competition.
Cate Campbell led the resistance as the Aussie darling won the women’s 50m
freestyle before producing an astonishing anchor leg in the 4x100m medley
relay to finish with five gold medals and exorcise her Olympic demons in
style.
“It’s definitely been a near-perfect meet,” said Campbell, who famously
choked in the 2016 Rio final of the 100m freestyle as the hot favourite.
“All the clich,s have been put to bed, the nightmares have gone,” she
added after putting down a marker for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “I’m having
sweet dreams from now on.”
Katie Ledecky scooped her third gold medal of the competition by
pulverising the field in the women’s 1,500m free, an event that has been
added to the schedule for 2020.
The American world record holder, who won the 400m and 800m freestyle
titles earlier in the meet, touched the wall in 15:38.97 with three swimmers
still to turn for their final lap.
Ledecky welcomed the extra workload at the 2020 Olympics as the United
States finished the pool competition with 18 gold medals, 10 more than
Australia with hosts Japan third on six.
“I’m not planning on dropping anything,” insisted the five-time Olympic
champion, who was stunned by Canada’s teen sensation Taylor Ruck in the 200m
free.
“I’m very experienced at swimming those events and it’s a challenge I
enjoy. I still have a lot in me.”
American Kathleen Baker captured gold in the women’s 200m backstroke in
2:06.14, tipping out Ruck, who took silver for her fifth medal of the week.
Zane Grothe beat fellow American Jordan Wilimovsky to win the men’s 800m
free in a championship best 7:43.74.
– Lucky socks –
Olympic champion Ryan Murphy credited his “lucky socks” as he made it four
out of four on the night for the Americans by dominating the men’s 200m
backstroke, winning in a meet best 1:53.57 to complete the 100-200m double.
“I’m a little bit superstitious,” revealed Murphy. “I always have the same
peanut butter and jelly snack before every meet, the same (red, white and
blue) socks. Hopefully that bodes well for me leading into 2020.”
Campbell stopped the rot as the Australian defended her title in the
women’s 50m free, winning in a Pan Pacific record of 23.81 from American
Simone Manuel (24.22) and countrywoman Emma McKeon (24.34).
Normal service was resumed when Michael Andrew ambushed world champion
Caeleb Dressel to win the men’s 50m freestyle, giving the United States their
fifth gold medal of the night.
Andrew clocked 21.46, almost half a second clear of Dressel.
Micah Sumrall made it six out of seven for the United States as she
stormed to victory in the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:21.88.
Japan struck a blow for the underdog as world record holder Ippei Watanabe
conjured an electric finish to win gold in a meet best of 2:07.75.
Having won individual gold in the 100m free, Campbell crushed it on the
anchor leg of the women’s 4x100m medley to blow past Manuel and bring the
Australians home in 3:52.74, just edging out the American favourites.
“Cate has a special gift,” Australian swim coach Jacco Verhaeren told AFP.
“Is it completely unexpected? Probably not. But she had one of the best
swimming weeks of her life.”
Nathan Adrian edged Japan’s Katsumi Nakamura in a rousing finale to give
the Americans gold number seven by just five hundredths in the men’s medley
relay.
BSS/AFP/RY/1942 hrs